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Death within Love

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Peeta looked down at the glass of water, his blue eyes sliding upward to her's. He looked at her for a few moments, wondering the same thing every one else was; Was her innocence an act? After all, Scarlet was famous for being the tribute to act fragile and helpless in the beginning, only to end up absolutely lethal. So was that what Sienna was doing? Acting? He sighed and picked up the glass. "Thanks," he murmured, offering a hint of a smile before turning back to Haymitch. "I was hoping you got those tapes I was asking for? I thought it would be useful for us to watch some past interviews from our competion tonight. Especially since Sienna has never been interviewed..."
 
Sienna smiled, pleased that he'd taken the drink. Before shrugging as she started to eat herself. IT wasn't a act, at least not most of it, she was used to pretending to be helpless for her father, and her true nature was buried under a lifetime of hiding from what she was. Haymitch watched the two for a long moment before nodding,"I did. We'll watch them after we finish eating. We have the time before dinner."He said watching them both, wondering why sienna was being kind to peeta. wondering if she was doing the very thing Peeta had done the year before, throwing her weight in behind the stronger of the two and making sure that someone from district 12 could go home.
 
"sounds great," Peeta said, nodding the Haymitch before finishing his lunch and downing the rest of the water. He excused himself then headed up for a shower and whatnot. He met Haymitch and Sienna in the district 12 living room. He lounged on the couch in a red short sleeved shirt and black sweat pants. Turning the television on, he nodded to the stack of tapes. "Which one is first?"

Scarlet snuck up the roof again in her pajamas, her long dark hair blowing in the wind and her makeup washed away. This time, she had a bottle of wine, sipping from it and looking out at the scenery.
 
Sienna to had showered and changed, curling up on the rest of the couch that peeta was on, her legs tucked up under her. "Jace's. He was a accidental win, which will be helpful if we can figure out what he's changed since then.Because he has. He was always a bastard,but he...he's become harder in the last few years."Haymitch said as he put the video in, settling back in his chair as he pushed play. For most of the video Sienna was quiet as she watched,"...he really did let everyone kill each other.He didn't try to fight unless they found his hiding spot."She said sounding slightly amazed at the idea of someone hiding that much, even if she knew that she would probably be better off hiding and waiting for the others to come for her.

"You know, even if you drink and try to commit suicide, they wont let you fall."Jace said as he stepped out onto the roof, leaning over the edge to look down, sighing softly."Though it would be a kinder death then the arena."he said before straightening, his head and heart hurting because he wanted to commit suicide like this, quick and painless, over what was awaiting them.
 
Peeta looked over at the smaller girl huddled in the corner of the couch, and he pulled a blanket off the back of it and handed it to her before leaning back to watch the tape. "He's sneaky," Peeta agreed. "He's like Foxface... Smarter than everyone else pegs him to be." He watched all of the tapes od Jace, watching him hide and be discreet about hunting and eating. He only killed when he had to, and that was mainly the last round when he won at the end. It was an incredible technique. "We have to constantly keep our eye out for him and not underestimate him," he said, "We can't forget about him." Looking over at Sienna, he eyed her quietly. It was obvious he was saying "we" as in him and Sienna, because he was going to try to carry her as far as he could into the game. He would try his hardest not to become attatched to her, but he couldn't just stand by and not put forth any effort to protect her. His blue eyes turned away from her. "I want to see Scarlet's tapes."

He walked over to the television and slid the numbered disc into the player. Across the screen flashed the announcements for the 72nd Hunger Games, and his eyes went wide at the girl sitting next to Caesar on the interviewing couch. "Is that... is that Scarlet?" He tilted his head to the side, amused. This girl looked nothing like the dark, dangerous beauty that was just a couple years older. This girl was full of life, innocent... It was obvious to Peeta that this was what she must have been like before the games, before the death of her family, before she was labeled a leathel killer... She reminded him of Sienna, actually, making him look over to the girl beside her, then over to Haymitch. "She was that good at acting?"

~*~

Scarlet looked over at Jace and rolled her eyes, lifting the bottle to her lips and taking a huge swig. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but she looked anything but fragile. She did not want to be consoled or taken care of. She just wanted to be left alone, and the last thing she really wanted was to have to make conversation with the one tribute who got under her skin more than the others. "Who said I was committing suicide?" he asked, arching her eyebrow. "I'm just drinking with rest of them..." She nodded to the crown of people in the city square, partyin and celerating the Hunger Games. "That's for cowards... I do not plan to die here," she muttered, "I'm going to die old and happy, eventually, but not here. Not for them to watch."

She leaned her head back on the wall behind her, her silk night gown blowing in the wind just enough to show off her toned legs.
 
Sienna nodded a little,"He's not making it easy to forget about him."She pointed out before sighing watching the videom turning her head to look at peeta when he wasn't looking at her. Looking surprised at the idea that he was including her in the 'we'. Looking unsure because she'd learned early that she couldn't trust most people, but dammit she wnted to trust him. Not only because katniss had,but because she wanted him to win.She knew she couldn''t, which meant that she wanted to make sure peeta did. Turning back to watch the tape, her eyes going wide at the sight of scarlet.

"Yes, that's scarlet. And some of it's acting...and some of it was truth."Haymitch sighed softly."Most of its a act, but the games did change her."Haymitch said studying them both then looking at the tv, a smile sarcastic smile curling his lips."Actually makes me think of sienna." "It does not. She's acting.I'm not. At least she knew she was deadly at something."Sienna scowled a little, the innocence cracking a little because she was annoyed, annoyed at them both for giving he that look, that look like she was hiding something. She wasn't. She really didnt know anything amazing, or she wasn't asking.AT least not on purpse she could be deadly, like jace. She just needed to be tested first.

~~**~~

Jace shrugged looking out at the party, for once not admiring a woman's legs that were available to look at, watching the crowd because it hurt him badly to see so many people celebrating that in a few days they were going to be fighting to death.There was just something wrong with celebrating that the very victors that the capitol had come to love so much, that they were going to be killing each other soon. STanding at the edge he looked down, sighing softly."No one plans to die...then we all kill each other in the areana."He said sighing a little,"And you can't pretend your innocent this time, scarlet. Even your not as good to hide how you killed last time."He said looking thoughtful because he really was wondering just how much sienna was a act, to hide.
 
Peeta frowned at what Haymitch said, knowing that he got considerably lucky as a victor. It was still early for him. The capitol had not been abl eto trap him into the things that they had trapped the others in, considering he pretty much went straight back to the Games. He heard rumors of prositution of good-looking victors that the Capitol had their eyes on, and it made him shudder. He couldn't even imagine that being forced to do such things. After all, he'd never been with a girl, embarassingly enough. It's not like he was ever given the real opportunity.

"Scarlet was from District One, after all," he argued, "She grew up with constant training and prepping. Wasn't she a volunteer?" He had heard rumors that District One and Two even forced their children to either volunteer, or be disowned. And being disowned could mean life or death in the districts... Standing up, he poured three glasses of red wine and passed them around. Maybe it wasn't ideal to have become so close to Haymitch, but now they were pretty much best friends. He was all Peeta had, and vice versa. Hell, they had spent many of nights sulking over the death of Katniss...

Scarlet looked over at him and gave him a resentful look. "Stop telling me what I can and cannot do," she snapped, "I know how to play his game just as much as you do. Better, actually. My win was not lucky." She ground her teeth together and shook her head, lifting the bottle to her lips again and taking a large gulp. One of her legs went to hang over to ledge gracefully. "Who ever said I was not innocent, hm?" she said over a long moment of silence, her voice full of bitterness. Her dark eyes found his, and their was a fire behind them. "You were from District Four," she snapped, "One of the most well fed Districts by far, due to the water, and I bet your parents didn't threaten you on a daily basis, hm?I bet they didn't tell you that if you didn't win, you would be remembered as a disgrace to the family." She clenched her jaw and gave him a go-to-hell look, before looking back into the crowd. "I did what I had to do, and I will do what I have to do once again."
 
Haymitch winced at that before nodding."She did."He said loking thoughtful because everyone knew of the rumors abut them being disowned,but he'd never been able to find out if it was true or not. Even when he wasn't drinking, he hadn't been able to find it. When he was drinking...well he didn't care. Sienna was quiet as she shifted a little, resting her head against the back o the couch, just enjoying listening to them talk. It wasn't a bad way to spend her last days of life, listening to these two nicer kinder men discussing things, even if it was the games.

"Thank you."She said smiling a little as she tok her glass from peeta, fingers brushing his accidently, sipping the wine inside, and within a few sips starting to feel the affects. She'd never had alcohol before, but it was giving her a nice numb feeling, numbing out the horror she'd felt since she'd been chosen for the games, the anger that she felt at them all for being victors, and just at the world.Closing her eyes as haymitch put in another tape, she dozed, content to just listen to them talk, assuming they'd tell her something improtant if she needed to know about it.

Jace looked at her, before sighing softly."No, I guess they didn't."He said staring out at the city, not about to tell this girl the horror of prositution after, she was pretty, of course she was aware of what came after the victory. Of course they were all bitter. Going quiet as he sat down, wrapping a arm around his knees"I'm not so lucky anymore."He said smiling slightly sadly, the shields he jkept in place starting to come down, starting to show the man he usually as, a bitter angry bastard who knew just how nasty he could be.
 
Scarlet swallowed and looked over at him, her dark eyes softening around the edges as she peered in the dark. The wind was soft, the air was cool, and if anything... Well, it was a pretty night. A sigh left her lips as she watched him, seeing his guard visibly go down little by little, and it reminded her that he was just as miserable as she was. Maybe his situation of winning was different, but he was still subject to a blood bath. However, Scarlet was a stubborn girl. She wasn't one to just start acting nice at the drop of the hat, but she's atleast let a little of her guard down... Reaching over, she handed him to bottle of wine. "None of us are lucky anymore," she murmured, looking down at her hands and frowning. "I'd offer up some kind of empathy, but I'm not sure I know how to anymore. This life roughs you up a little bit."

Peeta watched several more tapes with Haymitch before looking over and seeing Sienna fast asleep. He sighed, tilting his head to the side, and looked over at Haymitch. "I guess I'll take her upstairs," he murmured, "Night Haymitch... Try to get some sleep, alright? We have alot to do..." He smiled a bit and stood up, peeling the blanket from her small for and pushing his strong arms up underneath her. He was so gentle and careful, making sure her head rested on his shoulder as he carried her up the stairs to the bedroom that was across from his own.
 
Jace smiled a little as he started to sip the wine, sighing softly as he looked up at the other, snickering a little at the comment."I don't think you were ever capable of it, evne when you were innocent."He teased a little before starting to sip the wine more, before looking over at him."Well when you're killing friend's in a lood bath, yes it does star tto add rough edges."He said luahging a little the bitter man peeking out behind the ussual good cheer.

Haymitch sipped his wine, raising a eyebrow a little as he looked over at him."Don't stay with er peeta."He warned worried about what the other would do, even if it was just hold sienna while she slept. No, he wasn't worried about him raping her or something so normal, he was worried about peeta getting more attatched then he already was."I can walk.."sienna said sleepily as she nuzzling her cheek against peeta's shoulder, nto really aware of doing it looking tired as she snugled into the strong arms holding her.
 
Peeta looked over his shoulder at Haymitch and nodded. "Of course," he murmured sleepily, knowing that the older man knew better. He sighed and crawled the stairs with ease, his strength making it feel as if he were carrying a pillow. "The wine got to you," he said, "So I think I should get you to bed." Smiling, he opened the door to her room and moved over to her large, comfy bed, peeling back the covers and laying her down. When he started to pull the covers up and over her body, his heart ached and it showed in his eyes. How was he going to just turn his back on her? She was so different from Katniss; fragile and small... She actually needed him, or atleast he thought she did. "Gonna be okay?" he finally asked, standing up and looked down at her with big blue eyes.

Scarlet smirked with the same bitterness he had and nodded. "I suppose it does," she agreed, leaning her head back on the wall behind her. Her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed at the feeling of the gentle breeze against her face. If anything, she knew how he felt. He may be a little older, but that didn't mean anything. It only meant he had a couple years of torment on her... "People think I am a monster," she said, "And I think I'm starting to believe them."
 
"No, but its okay.Just go peeta.."Sienna said looking at him with large green eyes, pain flickering in the depths as she looked up at him, before looking away, shifting as she curled up on her side, back towards him because even a little drunk she didn't want to make him feel bad. She didn't need him feeling badly for him, not when the others would see it as a weakness, and probably kill them both for it.Pressing her face against her pillow she shuddered, holding the tears, biting her lip because she was waiting for him to leave, not wanting him to go before she lost control.

Jace sighed softly turning his head to look at her, raising a eyebrow as he looked her over, "And people think I'm a coward, and I ALWAYS believed them."He said shaking his head a little."You are only what you want to believe. Don't let the others destroy your sense of self. Because if you don't know who you are, you're going to get killed in the first round. And I really want you to make it longer. Who else is going to protect me?"He teased, light and amusing, trying to make her smile, just because he was one of the few people who could be amusing even in the face of death.
 
Peeta looked down at her, swallowing nervously. By the movement of her shoulders and the way she turned away from him, he knew she was trying to hide the fact that she was about to cry. A sigh left him lips. He remembered that feeling; fear, uncertainty. He still felt it, but atleast he knew what was coming. This was all new to her. "Sienna," he murmured, shaking his head. He kneeled beside the bed. He remembered when him and Katniss shared a bed a couple times just to comfort one another. "We still have a few days. There will be more training to get you ready. Haymitch will do his best to keep up safe..." He frowned and tilted his head to the side, knowing he was making a mistake by comforting her. He was going to get attatched to her as time when on, and he knew it.

Scarlet looked over at him, lips pressed together and head tilted to the side. She didn't know how to figure him out... He seemed genuine, but there was something he was hiding. There was more than meets the eyes with him, like herself, and it was drawing her attention. "You are not a coward," she finally said, looking away and back at the crowd beneath him. "You were smart." That was as close to a compliment that Scarlet had gotten to in a long time, and she left it at that. She was not one to talk to much and demand attention. Her dark eyes scanned the people, eyes blurred slightly from the wine, and let out a sigh. If anything, she regretted not being able to have a somewhat normal life. Of course, she'd ha sex, but with greedy Capitol men, not with a man she loved. She was only about 20, but she never had been on a real, proper date in the districts. Never married, never got to have children... No, she'd die in that arena with the only memory of Capitol men and overbearing parents as an example of love.
 
Sienna tensed as he spoke, shiting a little as she swallowed hard,"A few days wont make a difference, when I'm fighting victors.Just stop, Mellnark."She growled, the angry growl softer because of the tears that were in her voice. Swallowing hard as she struggled to not ask him, knowing him well enough from watching the games the year before that if he cmforted her, he was going to have a weakness to exploit, and the others would use her to get to peeta. She couldn't do that, she wouldnt be the one who got him killed.

Jace started, before starting to laugh, that free amused laugh that was more real then any other laugh he'd showed since he'd gotten back to the captiol."Smart enough I'm the laughing stock of the vicrs."he pointed out before sighing, running his fingers through his hair as he stood, "We better get some sleep. We have training early tomorrow, then stylists to get ready for our interviews."he said looking annoyed at the idea of talking when everyone in the districts knew who they were by now.He just didn't want to have to do it,but like the games themselves, he couldn't escape.
 
Peeta frowned at the harshness in her tone and nodded, not saying anything more. He stood from where hwas knelt by the bed and ran a hand through his hair, staring down at her for a moment. He did not utter a word when her turned and left the room, closing the door behind. It was obvious that she did not want his comfort, and he couldn't blame her. Why would she? He frowned and walked across the hall to his own room, stripping down and slipping beneath his covers. He stared at the ceiling, trying to to think o the well-being of the girl across the hall. It would do neither of them any good.

Scarlet sighed and thought for a moment, knowing he was right and they needed to get off to their private rooms. If they were found together so late at night, rumors were bound to stir. "I suppose you're right," she murmured and turned to jump down from the ledge. She landed right in front of him, her dark eyes drifting up to his own. She smirked, "Maybe you are the laughing stock," he mused, "But atleast you are not the most hated, hm?" Sighing, she moved past him with her night gow blowing around her legs. Right before she walked inside, going her seperate way, she turned to him. "Don't forget what I said," she stated in a stern voice. "Staying close to me in the arena is a death wish. Don't kid yourself." And with that, she headed out and went up to her bedroom to get some sleep.
 
"MAybe I have a death wish."Jace muttered to himself watching her leave, tilting his a little as he watched her go. Poor bastard, he had no idea why he was doing this, but he was tossing in with the most hated girl in the arena, and wouldn't that be interesting?

In the morning Haymitch smiled slightly as he leaned against the door, waiting for peeta t come out, looking amused because he'd already sent sienna down to bed."Sleep well?"He said studying the man curiously, trying to decide what had happened between the two last night, but he was curious.After all, it wasn't every day he found someone waiting outside Peeta's door, fast asleep on the floor. Espcially now, when she should have been actually resting. So he wondered what the hell the two had done.Not that he was actually worried about sex, he knew peeta was to hung up on katniss to do that, but he was worried about just how attatched the two were going to get to each other.
 
The next morning, Scarlet was at breakfast eating her bowl of oatmeal with strawberries, a side of bacon, a glass of orange juice, and a mug of coffee. Her hair was already pulled back into a pony tail, though she was left with out makeup for now. Once they were done training for the day and needed to be dressed of the interviews, stylists were going to be all over her.... She was the first one there this morning, and she was secretly wondering if Jace would be stubborn enough to sit beside her and talk to her again. As much as it caught her off guard, she was started to get a little entertained by it...

Peeta rolled over and looked at Haymitch, his eyes a little puffy from lack of sleep. He nodded, reaching up to rub his left eye as he let out a huge yawn. "Yea, why?" he asked in an obvlivious tone, pushing the covers back so he could sit up. He looked around the room, seeing that the sun was barely up. His blond hair was messy from moving around so much in his sleep. He glanced up at him and tilted his head to the side. "What?"
 
Indeed, jace was a stubborn bastard when he set his mind to it, settling in the seat next to her, smiling as sienna joined them, sitting close but not with them as she started to eat. "Sleep well?It was hot last night."Jace said studying scarlet, his voice taking on that seductive purr that he'd copied from finnick, and despite being a prositute for the capitol, he'd learned to like sex, and learned the more he seemd to like it, the less it bruised his heart and sanity to play the game.

Haymitch smirked a little, "Sienna slept on your floor last night."He said nodding towards the rug by the door. "I came in to make sure you hadn't gotten drunk, and smack her in the head with the door."The elder man said, sounding amused with himself though he was trying to not worry to much."You look like hell."He said grwing serious shaking his head a little. Peeta did look like he'd been through the wringer.
 
Scarlet turned to look at him with dark eyes, arching an eyebrow at his advances. "Really? My bed was a frigid," she murmured, turning back to her food. After a moment, she paused and looked over at him with a hint of a smirk. A smirk that said no good was going to come out of her pretty mouth. She was a prostitute as well for the Capitol, after all, and she knew the power of seduction... "I suppose it was my lack of partner that made it so cold last night," she whispered, "If only the men in this place weren't such cowards..." She licked her lips and turned back away from him, taking a bite of a strawberry and letting the juice dribble down her bottom lip before licking it away.

Peeta raised his eyebrows. "Wait, what?" he asked, eyes a little wide as he looked down at the rug on the floor. "She slept... there? Why?" He wrinkled his nose and stood up, shaking his head. He looked over at a mirror and winced. Shit, Haymich was right. He did look like Hell...
 
A answering smirk curled his lips, that promised whatever he was oing to say next, was going to be insulting and amusing."Ah well, when one is a frigid bitch, one must expect to be cold."Jace said with that matter fact voice that it would take a moment to realize that the words were insulting. Laughing softly at the words, amused at scarlet's words, for once not taking the insult to heart.Sienna's mouth fell open a little as she te before laughing, it was amusing to listen to the two.

Haymitch nodded, looking amused that peeta hadnt realized she'd slept there, smirking slightly."Yep. She didn't say."Haymitch said studying the other smirking as the other looked into the mirror."Though if I had to guess,I'd say she didn't want to be alone,but wasn't brave enough to get in bed.Though its just a guess. She refused to answer."He said shrugging a little.
 
Scarlet looked over at him, picking her knife up off the table a twirling it through her fingers with ease, a smirk on he face. "Well, this frigid bitch knows how to use a knife," she murmured, the rolled her eyes and put it down. She finished her breakfast and stood up, dabbing her mouth and taking a huge gulp of water before head toward the door. "I'd stay and chat, but I have to get down to the gym." She smirked and left the dining hall, heading down the stairs toward the training ground. She was the first one there like yesterday, and immediately bent over to start stretching.

Peeta frowned and moved toward his closet to change, not bothering to shower since he did before bed the night before. "She told me to leave her alone last night," he said through the closet door with a confused tone. "I assumed she was okay..." He came out of the closet dressed in his black and red training uniform and boots, the moved over to a mirror to comb through his blond hair. He turned to Haymitch and sighed. "Well, is she? I mean, is she...okay?" He frowned slightly at that.
 
Jace smirked a little, "Hmm but you ould always use practice handling knives."He said grinning as he finished his breakfast heading down to the gym with his, watching her stretch for a moment before stretching two, wincing because it made his muscles ache to stretch but he knew he'd be gratefl for it later."So, what are we going to be working on today?"He asked smiling slightly.

Haymitch shrugged leaning back against the wall."I assume so.She didnt seem upset, well more then she's been since we got here."He said running his fingers through his hair."You're going to see her at training, judge for yourself."He said sighing a little as he looked worried, because he had no idea what the girl had been thinking and it worried him a little that she could hide just how upset she was, if she really was upset enough to want company and not just it.
 
Scarlet turned around and looked over her shoulder at him, arching an eyebrow. "We?" she murmured, rolling her eyes. "I will be practicing climbing. You can practice whatever your heart desires." She walked away from him, strutting by in the formfitting black and red uniform and gave him a look up and down. Putting her hands in the black mesh, she started to climb with ease, not bothering even when it started to move and tilt with her weight.

Peeta groaned at the reminder of training and sighed. "Yea, just let me get some coffee," he murmured, "I'll watch after her... You know I will." He frowned and looked over at Haymitch, worry in his eyes. He was worried for Sienna, worried she wouldn't make it... And then he was worried for himself; worried he was going to get so attatched to her that when something finally happened to her, he would be able to pull out of the depression like he did the first time.
 
"But what I want to practice, requires two people."He said raising a eyebrow, standing at the bottom of the climbing mesh, tilting his head back to watch her go up,admiring her as he watched, beore starting to climb."Race you to the top."He said panting a little, he hated heights, but he knew he had to tame the fear here and now before he had to climb somewhere in the arena.

Haymitch nodded as they headed downstairs to get coffee."I know you will.Which is what worries me."He said studying his friend, because despite their age difference, he had come to care for the younger victor, and even care about sienna, but to him, peeta's pain, peeta's crippling depression was even worse then sienna's fear. Because he knew sienna wasn't going to make it out of the arena, like peeta the year before, she seemed to be throwing her weight in behind the obviously better person in her district, intending on making sure peeta would get out."Good morning."Sienna said smiling a little as she past the two on her way out of the dining hall, on her way down to the training center, blushing slightly, intending on avoiding spendign time with the two, because she had no reason beyond not wanting to be alone, that she'd spent the night on peeta's floor.
 
Scarlet laughed a bit, looking down at him. She could climb like a cat, with grace and speed, and she could see the anxiety in his eyes the farther he got to the top. "And what exactly is the skill you are wanting to practice?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. She got to the top, then laying down on the flat part of the mesh that lined the high ceiling. It was as if she were just laying in a hammock. Leaning back on her hands, she looked over at him. "What is it with you?" she asked with an amused expression. "Surely you realize I have no interest in a partner in this game..."

Peeta offered her a half smile, turning to watch her walk down the hall before sitting down at the end of the empty dining table, looking over at Haymitch as their coffee was served. "And why does that worry you so much?" Peeta asked, even though he knew the answer. He reached over and grabbed the cream, pouring it into his coffee before a bit of sugar. He took a nice hearty gulp to wake himself up before looking over at his friend once more. "I went into this game knowing what to expect. It's why I volunteered in your place. I couldn't see you go in... With all the alcohol in your system, there was no way you were going to make it through the training, let alone the game." He cracked a smile, poking at his friend and trying to change the subject.
 
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